


On The Upside^

by AVT



Series: UPSIDE DOWN [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Anger, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Billy Hargrove Being Less of an Asshole, Billy Hargrove Deserves Better, Billy Hargrove Lives, Billy Hargrove Redemption, Billy Hargrove is a Mess, Eventual Smut, F/M, From Sex to Love, Frustration, Heavy Angst, Shameless Smut, Strangers, Strangers to Lovers, The Upside Down
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-21 07:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19998064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AVT/pseuds/AVT
Summary: Billy Hargrove was trouble.Ask anyone around his new school and they would tell you so.What they didn't know was anything about Billy at all.What will happen when things decide to go upside down in Hawkins and he meets a stranger with green eyes?





	1. Soundtrack

1- Running in The Night; Fm-84

2- Moving in Stereo; The Cars

3- High tide; Brothertiger

4- I Can Dream About You; Dan Hartman

5- The Outfield; The Night Game

6- Photograph; Def Leppard

7- River Of Darkness; The Midnight

8- Save a Prayer; Duran Duran

9- Gloria; The Midnight

10- All The Love; The Outfield

11- Back to You; Timecop1983


	2. Pride

Billy pushed the shift into third gear so fast he thought for sure he would grind the clutch. Luckily, the car accelerated, speedometer needle quickly trying to catch up and the smell of burnt rubber hitting his nose. He unclenched and clenched his jaw again. 

He wanted out. Out of Hawkins, out of the boredom of small town life and most of all; out of his own family. 

He had lost count of how many times his dad had come home from a bad day and targeted him throughout his 18 years. It was only getting worse. Billy could fight back now and things had been escalating over time.

He fought tooth and nail to stay in California when his dad announced the move. Being 17 at the time, there was nothing he could do. As much as he hated to admit it, he was so frustrated he was becoming like his father. His step sister Max getting the brunt of his temper. 

Tears burned his eyes, causing him to slap his own face. There was no way he would let his old man have the same affect on him now as he did when he was a child. He refused to be the same scared kid. 

His mother was long gone. Years had passed and the memories of his only protector were beginning to fade. The tears finally made their way past the brim of his eyes when he thought of her face gently smiling at him. Faint memories of her holding his hand and walking with her on the beach replayed over and over again in his head. 

He pulled to the side of the deserted highway when he could no longer see through the haze of tears. The sobs came out choked and he could barely breath. He beat the palms of his hands on his steering wheel until they went numb from the pain. 

He wanted out.

But he knew out would only mean his dad would find a new target. Maxine was the nearest and easiest target. He resented her for it. She wasn't even really his blood sister. He resented the fact that he cared enough to stay. 

He inhaled deeply. The tears finally stopped and he wiped his cheeks. He looked in the mirror at the newly formed bruise on his cheekbone and winced when his fingers touched it. He laid his head back on his headrest and squeezed his eyes shut. He remembered the party he had been invited to after basketball practice. 

Big Friday night in Hawkins.

He dug in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and lit one before restarting his car and accelerating faster than he knows he should. His father bought him the Camaro, why should he care if he burns the engine? 

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

By the time Billy arrived at the party he just so happened to be fashionably late. Teenagers were scattered on the lawn with plastic cups in their hands and the living room was filled to the brim with dancing. There was a haze from smoke and he could barely make out anyone he knew. 

Until he crossed Steve. King Steve they called him at school. Billy had already knocked off his crown after only being there for a few weeks. They shared a tense stare as he walked past until they both went their separate ways. 

"Come on, Billy! Do a keg stand!" A boy he recognized from school shouted at him. 

"Alright boys, let me show you how its done!" Billy hollered, getting himself into party mode.

He stripped off his shirt and watched the girls around him go slack jawed. It never got old. Two boys lifted him by his feet while he used his upper body to hold himself up. The beer burned his nose and they counted to 20 before letting Billy down with a whoop passing through the crowd He used his shirt to wipe his face and looked up to see Steve staring at him with a frown on his face. Billy shot him one of his signature smirks and walked back into the party shrugging his leather jacket back on, shirt still in his hand. 

Billy spotted a punch bowl on the kitchen counter and walked around to help himself. He poured it and hovered his nose over the cup, trying to identify what was even in the punch. There were pineapples but it only smelled of pure liquor.

"You won't be able to figure it out. It's toxic whatever it is. I'm sure of it." A voice said from the other side of the counter. 

He looked up to see a pretty pair of green eyes staring back a him. She was smirking and a dimple showed itself on her right cheek. He hadn't saw her at school before. He hadn't seen her anywhere before as a matter of fact. She wasn't among the familiar faces of nameless girls gawking at him when he walked the halls. He would have definitely remembered her. 

Before he could even think of a witty comment or even ask her name another girl had grabbed her hand and pulled her to the middle of the living room where everyone was dancing. He quickly lost sight of her in the blur of people. 

He wasn't lonely long before a girl with a crooked pony tail he recognized as Trudy from the group of "popular girls" at school approached him. 

"Heya, Billy. You look lonely over here by yourself." Her eyes grazed him up and down, her speech slightly slurred as she laid a hand on his bicep. 

"I'm actually looking for someone." Billy replied pulling his shirt back on, only half lying as he pushed past her and scanned the living room. 

He couldn't spot her anywhere so he shrugged his jacket back on again, defeated. He walked back outside to light a cigarette and inhaled deeply. He watched the smoke swirl up an dissapate as he exhaled. The longer he stayed at the party, the more he realized he was right about how lame Hawkins was. This party could never compare to the ones back in Cali. He was so bored he didn't even feel like fucking with Steve like he had been for the past 3 weeks. 

Quickly forgetting about the girl he was looking for and realizing how bored he was, he flicked his cigarette in the yard and started walking back to his car. He had just slipped his key into the lock when a familiar voice spoke up behind him.

"Hey, do you mind at all if I get a ride from you?" She asked nervously, the cute dimple showing itself when she smiled at him again, "I managed to lose my cousin and you seem more sober than anyone else." 

Billy smiled back. What are the odds. At least something was working in his favor.

"Sure thing." He shot her a grin back.

She slid into the passenger seat and Billy did his best not to gun his car like he always did. She gave him the name of the street she needed to get to and there was a long silence. For once in his life Billy couldn't think of anything amusing to say. He could see her fiddling with her hands in the passenger seat from the corner of his eye. He finally glanced over at her and she didn't look nervous, just deep in thought as she stared out of the window and the pine trees passing them by. Billy realized he would have to have a normal conversation if he wanted to find out anything about her.

"So what brings you to the sprawling metropolis of Hawkins?" Billy smiled at her, and avverted his eyes back to the road.

"I actually just moved here," she smiled back, giggling, "My mom grew up here and we decided to move back after my dad passed last year."

Billy wasn't normally a feelings type of person, but he noticed her smile falter when she mentioned her dad's passing and he felt for her. 

"I'm sorry to hear that," he answered, "Where did you move from?" 

"Washington State, actually." She frowned, "I planned on going to college there, but I dont know what I'll do now." 

"You still have time to figure it out." Billy surprised himself with his own comforting words, "I don't even know what I plan on doing yet." 

They passed the drive talking about their lives before Hawkins and laughing at the country bumpkin ways of the small town. It was actually comforting to Billy to have a normal conversation with someone. To his disappointment they had quickly arrived to the street she had given him. He had made sure to not drive as fast as he usually did so he could keep the conversation going but there was only so much stalling he could do.

"I guess this is you." Billy frowned, putting the car in park.

"Yep." She smirked, reaching her hand for his "Tara, by the way."

"Billy. Billy Hargrove." He took her hand in his. 

"I guess I'll see you at school Monday, Billy." She smiled, "Oh and hey, you should probably put something on that cut on your cheek." 

Billy forced a smile and watched her slowly walk up her driveway. The slight sway in her step giving away her inebriation. He made sure she got into her house and sat for an extra moment, smiling to himself before he re started his car. 

"See you then." He smiled to himself.

He hadn't actually enjoyed smalltalk in a while. The little things they had in common was comforting instead of the usual mundane bullshit that comes from everyone else around. 

Billy parked his car as quietly as he could in his driveway before creeping into the house. Careful not to make any noises that would wake up his dad. He was still angry about the fight they had earlier and the last thing he wanted was to see the smug face his dad makes when he sees the bruises he leaves on his body. He'd watched his dad admire his handy work before and smirk. He'd never begin to understand how his father gets off on hurting his own kid. It made his stomach turn. 

He sat on his bed and pulled off his boots before laying back and staring at his ceiling. He thought he would be drowsy after drinking the bit he had that night, but his mind was wide awake and buzzing. His thoughts kept re directing themselves to Tara. 

Something totally new in the land of Billy's overinflated ego. His usual dating style was a new piece of ass on the daily and move on to the next. Barely even remembering what some of them looked like, much less names. He had lost track of his notch count by the time they had left California and he wasn't doing much better even though there wasn't a big population in Hawkins. 

She seemed for a lack of better words, normal.

After a while of tossing and turning he crept slowly down the hall until he made it to the end where Max's bedroom door was. He turned the knob and cringed when the door squeaked. Luckily she didn't even stir from the noise. Every now and then Billy would check in and watch her sleep for a few moments. It was the only soft moments between the two and she wasn't even aware of them.

Like it or not, he realized over time she was his baby sister. 

He made it his job to watch out for her. He worked on toughening her up over the years, even going as far as branding her Mad Max. For the most part it was a success. No soft shit. If she wasn't soft, he couldn't hurt her. 

No one could, and hopefully she'd realize that some day.

He quietly shut the door and by the time his head hit his pillow it had finally stopped spinning. Until a nightmare quickly set in and jerked him out of his sleep. He sat straight up trying to catch his breath. 

He couldn't remember anything that had happened. Except a pair of green eyes staring back at him.


	3. Envy

Getting out of his car Monday morning at school the autumn air threatened to have Billy huddling in his denim jacket like an elderly woman in her cardigan. He played it cool as always walking into school, a few girls whispering and watching him while he walked by. He paid them no mind. He was only on time for school for once for a particular reason.

He quickly pushed the nightmare out of his head from the night before, and it was easy to do not remembering any of the details. Aside from the familiar set of eyes. His day however was quickly shot to shit when he walked into his history class to see Steve and Tara chatting and laughing in side by side desks. 

Billy felt a burn in the pit of his stomach but quickly quelled it down and sat in his usual spot in the back of the class. He leaned his face on the palm of his hand and did a shitty job of pretending that neither Tara or Steve existed. She obviously wasn't his property and was free to talk to whoever, "But why that douche?" He muttered to himself. 

Billy got through the rest of the class, but planned on ditching the rest of the day at lunch. As soon as the lunch time bell rang he grabbed his jacket and made a break for it. He was steps away from his car when Tara's voice stopped him.

"You're not planning on ditching now are you?" She smirked. 

"As a matter of fact, yeah, I am." Billy responded dryly, turning his head.

"Well, do you mind if I come with?" 

"Course not. Get in." Billy nodded towards his passenger door.

Tara seemed to not notice Billy's mood because she chatted about her first day at school and some of the other people she had met. All of them Billy could care less about. She brought up Steve a few times in passing and Billy couldn't help but roll his eyes. He didn't mean for her to notice but she had.

"Why don't you like him?" She implored, raising an eyebrow. 

"Why don't I like who?" Billy tried to look as confused as possible, even though he knew who she was referring to. 

"Steve. You roll your eyes every time he comes up." Tara laughed, pushing her dark hair behind her ear. 

"Have no clue what you're talking about." Billy pushed on his sunglasses so she couldnt read his face anymore. 

"Yeah, ok Hargrove." Tara laughed again, "And I'm the Easter Bunny."

Billy watched at her out of the corner of his eye, making mental notes of her mannerisms. The way she watched everything pass them by as they sped down the road. She seemed happy for someone that went through as much as she had so recently. 

"Where are we going anyways?" Tara asked like they were going on an adventure.

"A spot that I found not long after I moved here."

Gravel crunched under his tires when his car finally came to a stop near an opening in the trees. Tara's eyes lit up when she saw the quiet hill and the trees that had been touched by autumn around it. Billy's insides twisted when he saw the smile on her face. He didn't really know what to categorize the unfamiliar emotion under.

Billy climbed up onto his hood and laid back against the windshield, he laughed when she struggled to do the same with her shorter legs. They stared up at the sky for a while in silence. Billy thought it looked like she was deep in thought so he didn't interrupt her. He didn't feel much like talking anyways.

"Did I mention how my dad died?" Tara asked matter of factly.

The question was out of left field and Billy nearly gave himself whiplash he turned his head to face her so fast. He simply shook his head no and watched her inhale deeply, squeezing her eyes shut. 

Billy felt all of the muscles in his body tense up at once. He had never really stopped to realize that him and Max weren't the only ones going through it. It was hard to see past his own ego at times, much less his problems.

"This is our chance to be normal." Tara sighed, "I hate what it costed, but we didn't have a say so in it. This is what we were dealt."

A silence drifted between the two for a while. Billy thought about speaking up, but he decided against it. He had never talked aloud to a soul about the abuse he faced at home. The constant spewing of verbal abuse from his father. If you could even call him that 

"You know, I had the strangest dream last night-" Billy started.

"Whoa. So did I, actually. What was yours about?" Tara raised an eyebrow. 

"Ya know, I can't really remember much about it, but- well. I don't know." Billy paused, knowing what he would say next sounded like a bad pick up line.

"No, but what?" Tara pried, sitting up straight. 

"It's just gonna sound really fucking weird, but I swear before I woke up I saw your eyes." Billy cringed, waiting for a response.

But he didn't receive one. Not right away at least. He faced Tara and saw a strange look on her face. Her mouth was slightly open but she wasn't saying anything and her eyebrows were knitted together. 

"What is it?" Billy questioned, sitting up to her level.

"I was going to say the same thing." She replied after a few moments, averting her eyes.

"That seems impossible." Billy finally said after a few moments.

"And strange." Tara leaned back on the windshield again.

Billy followed suit. It was strange. He didn't think it was possible, but if it was, what would it mean? He shook the thought out of his head and followed her lead again and leaned back. They shared silence for a while. Both staring up at the clouds. Billy couldn't remember sharing a serene moment with someone else like they were. Not in recent years at least. He glanced over at her and couldn't quite tear his eyes away. Until his thoughts were interrupted.

"Why are you staring at me?" Tara laughed, tilting her to looks at him.

"Just thinking, I guess." Billy laughed the moment off, knowing damn well what he was thinking about.

She was different to him. The only "chick" that's made him tongue tied since middle school. How pretty she was without caking on makeup or hairspray. She actually intrigued him. The unusual sting of envy that he felt when she was talking to Steve. He didn't actually hate Steve, but he was his arch enemy at Hawkin's high if he wanted to make a name for himself. Now it felt personal though. 

"What's your family like?" 

The question broke him from his thoughts about her. He froze. He didn't know how to answer. Does he lie? Does he tell the truth? He chose the latter, for once.

"My dad's an asshole. Mom left when I was a kid to get away from him." Billy sighed, feeling the familiar burning in his eyes.

"Why didn't you leave with your mom?" Tara asked, concern marking her face.

"Well." Billy froze, no one had ever asked these question so he wasn't sure how to answer them. 

"You can tell me." Tara faced him, leaning on her elbow. 

He felt like he actually could. It was just unusual searching for the words to give answers to someone else when he barely knew them. His stomach turned. 

"Because, he's not just an asshole." Billy swallowed, "He gets physical. He got physical with mom and she was scared."

He looked at her and tears had welled up in her eyes and a few had slid down onto her cheek. He sat up and leaned over to push the tears off of her face with his thumb.

"Hey, it's alright," Billy reassured, confused at her emotional reaction, "Hey, look at me, Tara."

Tara sat up and wiped the tears off of her face. Billy watched her but she wouldn't face him. She finally spoke, but she still wouldn't look at him.

"Is that what happened to your cheek?" She asked, "I assumed you had gotten into a fight because you looked like a tough guy."

Billy had nearly forgotten that she noticed it that night. He usually didn't have to hide the bruises and scrapes because most people assumed about him. He climbed off of his hood and shoved his hands into his pockets. 

"Yeah, it was him." He answered simply, "But why are you crying?"

"My dad was abusive too. Mostly mentally, but sometimes physically." Tears fell from her eyes again, "I've never told anyone that."

"I've never told anyone about mine either." Billy watcher her face, twisted with sadness.

"You know, when he died I didn't know how to feel. I really didnt." She breathed, "People kept telling me they were sorry, but I wanted to ask them for what?" 

Billy was silent. He only listened. She understood what it was like, but he wished she wouldn't.

"I never wanted him to die." Tara whispered, "I just wanted him to understand what he was doing to us." 

"They aren't capable." Billy stated matter of factly, "Come on. I should get you back."

He felt like he should hug her or anything, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. They were strangers baring their souls to each other, but physical contact felt like too much. They drove in silence, her staring out of the window, until he pulled into her driveway. He put his car in park and it pulled her out of whatever trance she was in. She quickly grabbed her books off of the floor and got out of the car quickly.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Billy." She said over her shoulder before she shut the door. 

Billy watched her slowly walking up the driveway and let herself into her house. He felt like he should have done or said more, but he wasn't used to dealing with emotions. He was pretty sure it was embarrassment he was reading on her face before she got out of the car. He shook his head and backed his car out of the driveway. He was deep in thought about that afternoon until he spotted Max walking on the sidewalk. It would be getting dark soon so he pulled over to give her a ride home.

"Get in kid." He said over his sunglasses through the open window.

Max rolled her eyes but complied, throwing her skateboard in the backseat.

"Where were you? You weren't at school?" She asked in the same huffy tone she always used with him.

"Needed to get out of there for a while." Billy said as dryly as possible, "Me and that new girl Tara ditched at lunch."

"Steve's Tara?" Max asked, confusion written on her face 

Billy felt his cheeks get hot. She had just moved here, there was no way Harrington had already swooped down on her. He tried not to show his irritation to Max, that would be too out of character.

"What makes you say that?" Billy tried to make his laugh seem realistic.

"Because that's what they were saying at school," Max rolled her eyes, "Steve asked her out before lunch Mike said."

Billy swallowed his temper, "You still hanging out with those weasels?" 

"They're not nearly as weasley as the friends you hang around." Max huffed.

That was the end of their conversation, both going their separate ways as soon as they pulled into the driveway. Billy trudged up to his room, tired even though he skipped basketball practice. His irritation was still fresh however. Enough to motivate him to strip off his clothes, replacing his jeans with basketball shorts. 

He laid on the floor and stared at the ceiling until his swirling thoughts of Tara going out with Steve motivated him into sit ups. He made it to 103 and finally gave up, crawling into his bed. It was still early but he quickly fell into a deep sleep. He could only compare it to waking up even though he fell asleep. 

The room around him, if you could call it that, was the color of obsidian and empty. Until he saw her. She was standing across from him with a blank expression on her face. He slowly walked towards her until she began screaming. He froze in his tracks, his jaw going slack.

He reached his hand out for her and she quickly dissipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still really nervous about my outline and where I'm going with this. Thank you so much for following me on this adventure and I'll try to update as regularly as possible!


	4. Wrath

Billy sat straight up in his bed, feeling his heart thudding in his chest like he had been running. The second time he had a dream about her and part of him wondered as impossible as it seemed if she had dreamed about him too. He went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face.

Staring at his own reflection frustrated him. The bruise on his cheek had started to heal but the reflection staring back at him always reminded him of his mother. He had the same eyes and nose. He leaned himself onto the counter with his hands and closed his eyes. He saw her mouth wide open and the terror in her eyes. He just wanted to understand why.

Driving to school he tried listening to music to try and get his mind off of things. He started drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel, but it his thoughts quickly redirected him back to Tara. He parked and got out of the car, tossing his cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. He paid no mind to anyone around him and walked into the hall heading for his locker.

He saw Tara at hers, talking with a girl that he couldnt remember's name. She made eye contact with him and her smile quickly fell. She faltered. She said something to the other girl and walked in his direction. She leaned on the locker near his while he was putting his jacket up and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Hey." She finally spoke up.

"Hey yourself." Billy closed his locker, and leaned on it.

"So, um." She looked at the ground.

"You dreamt it too didn't you?" He asked quietly.

"How did you-, what's going on?" She whispered, her eyes going wide.

"I don't know. I was afraid this was real. What were you dreaming on your end?"

"I was having a nightmare about dad again and next thing I know, I saw you standing there." She whispered back, avoiding his gaze.

"Do you want to skip at lunch again and talk about this?" Billy asked, not beating around the bush.

"I told Steve I'd sit with him at lunch today."

"So it's true about you and Harrington." Billy swallowed, trying to hide his frustration. 

"What do you mean?" She locked her eyes with his.

"Max told me she heard you were going with him." He teased, trying to hide his jealousy.

"We're not going anywhere together. I just told him I'd sit with him." Her eyebrows knitted together and she quickly stormed off.

Billy didn't mean to piss her off, but he had to admit it worked out in his favor. He passed Steve and Tara in the hall on his way to class. She was whispering furiously and he could tell by the look on Steve's face when he was talking that he was trying to do damage control. Billy smirked to himself. 

He sat through his class and tried not to doze off. The lack of sleep was catching up to him. When the lunchtime bell rang he grabbed his jacket from his locker and walked to his car. He lit a cigarette and leaned against his car, waiting for a bit to see if she would walk to meet him. He hoped she would. After a few minutes he realized she wasn't. He flicked his cigarette and quickly backed out of the parking lot and hammered the gas, taking him away to the his hiding spot. 

As angry as he wanted to be with her he quickly realized he couldn't. She wasn't his. How would he feel if a random girl would pull the same shit with him? 

He laid on the hood of his car through lunch period and his second class. He tried to redirect his thoughts from her, watching the blades of grass move when the breeze picked up. He felt the air around him grow cooler and he decided he couldn't skip another basketball practice. The parking lot was void of people when he reparked at school. He was glad everyone was in class so he could slip back in, unnoticed. 

He was changing in the locker room when the rest of the basketball team started to file in. Steve obviously doing his best to avoid Billy, but Billy didn't have the energy to argue with him. He was lacing up his shoes and continued to ignore everyone. 

"You've been quiet lately, Hargrove. What's up your ass?" Tommy slapped Billy on the shoulder. 

"Just tired, asshole." Billy replied without looking up. 

"Ohhh, someone's on their period." Tommy laughed, starting to walk away.

That was the last straw for Billy however. He needed Tommy on his side to get to Steve, but that didn't make him any less of an aggravating fuck in Billy's eyes. Billy quickly got up, and spun Tommy around slamming him against a locker while holding onto the collar of his shirt.

"Want to say that again, asshole?" Billy seethed, his face inches away from Tommy's.

Everyone in the locker room stopped to turn and stare at them. The room quickly went quiet and a look of fear so familiar to Billy was written on Tommy's face. Billy didn't have to energy to fight but he wasn't going to let a prick like Tommy H. fuck with him. 

"N-no, Billy." Tommy stuttered out.

"That's what I fucking thought."

Billy's face was closer to his for a second while he stared the other boy down, until he finally let go of his collar and gave him one last shove again the locker for good measure. Billy turned around and everyone was staring at him, no one saying anything. He sat down again and returned to tying his other shoe and the buzzing of conversation slowly returned to the locker room. 

Billy caught enough shit comments like Tommy made growing up and even still from his own father. He knew he just looked liked a total dick to everyone around him but shit like that always drove him. There wasn't a quicker way under skin than someone calling him a pussy, or some other shitty locker room talk. Walking out of the room Steve was staring at him when Billy glanced over at him, but he quickly looked away.

After practice Billy decided to stop at the diner alone to grab something to eat, since Max was apparently out with the hooligans again. Billy had just scarfed down a burger and a banana malt like a starving man in the desert when the bell on the diner door rang. He heard people chatting and when they walked past he realized it was Steve and Tara. 

They sat two booths down from him and Tara made eye contact with Billy over Steve's shoulder. His heart felt like it stopped in his chest. She smiled and Billy just stared, not in the mood to try and be nice. He threw down his napkin on his plate and tossed some cash on the table with his ticket. He walked quickly to his car in the parking lot, but he heard small footsteps behind him trying to catch up. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. 

"Hey! Wait up!" Tara called after him, "I have short legs!"

Billy leaned against his car door and he watched her face drop when she saw he wasn't smiling. He didn't say anything and waited for her to tell him what she wanted. He wasn't in the mood for games even though she didn't seem to realize she was playing one. 

"What's wrong?" She asked, frowning.

"Just not in a good mood, Tara." Billy answered.

"What made you that way?" Tara quizzed.

"Doesn't matter." Billy looked over her shoulder to see Steve staring at them throught the diner window, "Wouldn't want you to keep Harrington waiting." 

Billy got into his car and started it, leaving her standing in the parking lot with a confused and hurt look on her face. He hated that look, but he didn't feel like dealing with it. He watched her walk back to the diner in his rearview mirror, the bounce in her step gone. 

When he saw her sit back in the booth across from Steve he hit the car in reverse so fast his tires squealed. He headed for his house with his foot pressed into the peddle so hard he could swear it was filled with lead. He hated what was happening. Feelings. So many unfamiliar feelings. He knew he was a complete asshole for the way he acted towards Tara, but he couldn't stop it. 

Billy climbed the stairs so fast to get to his room it felt like he was going to go through them. He collapsed onto his bed but realized quickly he needed a shower. He groaned and dug himself to the bathroom him and Max shared. He stripped off his clothes and set the water to as hot as it would go. He climbed in and let the water pour over his and down his back. Goosebumps spread down his back and up his stomach. 

He leaned his head against the shower wall. He tried to clear his head but it was going in every other direction. The classes he was missing, Tara, the anger that threatened to bubble up any minute. He quickly finished his shower and walked back to his room. He noticed Max's door was cracked and he peaked in to see her on her bed doing homework to his surprise. He crept away quietly because he didn't feel like talking. 

He hit his bed and before he even realized it he was in a deep sleep. He found himself in the obsidian room again, this time all alone. He called out but no one was there to answer. He sunk down to his knees and sat out the ground, tears quickly coming to his eyes. He looked down at his body to realize it wasn't his at all, but one of a child. He looked at his right arm and recognized the scar from when he fell off of his bike that had since faded. He sat on the floor and silently cried, unsure of what was happening and why he was alone. 

"Billy?" 

Billy looked up to see Tara and quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks. She was still herself. He didn't want to look up at her again, embarrassment warming his cheeks. Tara was in front of him kneeling and she took his face in her hands. 

"It's ok, Billy." She soothed, "You aren't alone anymore."

"Leave me alone!" Billy screamed, throwing her hands off of him.

Tara stared back with a hurt look on her face and he started to run. Running away from Tara and into the darkness. Billy woke up with tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away and stared at his ceiling. He felt vulnerable and like his privacy was unwillingly being invaded. He didn't understand why any of this was happening but he intended to get to the bottom of it and put a stop to it. He didn't want anyone seeing that part of him, much less a girl that was practically a stranger. He had already shared too much. 

At school he avoided her any way he could. Even though someone told him she had been looking for him that morning. Walking back to his car that afternoon however he was busted. Tara was leaning on his car holding her books, giving him a weak smile.

"What do you want, Tara?" Billy rolled his eyes.

"I just wanted to talk." She answered quietly.

"Well, I don't want to talk." Billy practically spat.

"Why are you so mad at me?" 

Billy saw the tears building in her eyes and he immediately felt like crap. He inhaled deeply and leaned on the car next to her. She wouldn't look at him anymore. He hated making her feel that way, but he didn't know what she wanted from him.

"Look, Tara. I'm just in a pissy mood." Billy wiped a tear that fell onto her cheek.

"You don't have to take it out on me, Billy." She spat, pushing his hand away and storming off. 

Billy got into his car and slammed the door as hard as he could. If there wouldn't have been so many people around he probably would have screamed until his lungs hurt. The only thing he could think about was the fact that he gave the perfect set up for Steve to swoop in and comfort Tara. He wanted to be the one to do it, even though he was humiliated at the idea of her seeing him the way she did in their weird shared dreams. He knew that's why she wanted to talk and that was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want to talk about that. He wanted to pretend it never happened, and that his tough guy exterior wasn't a facade for the most part.

Max got into that car and slammed the door. She stared at Billy and her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something. Billy slid on his sunglasses and navigated them out of the parking lot as fast as the blue car would carry them. Max looked at Billy again, and he realized she was scared. He slowed the car down and pulled over on the side of the road.

"What are we doing?" Max asked. 

"I just wanted to talk to you for a minute before we get home."

"What about?" Confusion spread on Max's face.

"I-I just need you to understand why I am the way I am," Billy started, "I know you think I'm a piece of a shit, but I just want you to be tough."

Max simply nodded. 

"I know you're my step sister but you're the only sibling I've ever had. And I love you Mad Max." Billy finished.

"I love you too, Billy." Max whispered, staring out of the window.

Billy put the car back in drive and the rest of the ride to the arcade was quiet aside from the Def Leppard that pumped out of the speakers. He dropped off Max and decide to go for a drive to clear his head. He found himself at the clearing again, but he wasn't alone. Tara sat on the hill, arms wrapped around her legs. 

He parked the car and sat for a minute, staring at her. Her pretty face looked sad, and he knew he was the direct cause. He got out of the car and her eyes met his. Nothing was said when he sat next to her. He put his arm around her and pulled her into him. She sniffled and his stomach turned. 

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

She didn't reply. She looked up into his eyes and before he could say anything else on his mind her lips had softly met his. Her lips parted his and the kiss grew deeper. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her closer. 

He couldn't get close enough. 

When their lips finally parted they were both out of breath. His hand found it way to hers and he entangled his fingers with hers. He stood, pulling her up with him. They got into his car and he turned to see her smiling at him. 

"What are you smiling about over there?" Billy laughed.

"You." She stated simply.

Billy smiled back and directed his car towards the road. He felt her hand find his, and she squeezed. For the first time in his life Billy felt himself feeling something deeply for another and he was scared. 

Vulnerable. 

But it felt nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm having way too much fun with Billy's character and his range of emotions. I'm softening him up, but he's still an asshole. Stay tuned, the next chapter is going to be a bit more on the spicier side.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so nervous to put this out there, but here goes. I just binged watch all 3 seasons of Stranger Things and fell in love With Billy Hargrove's character. I'm such a sucker for the "What could have been's" and a bad boy with a soft center that deserved better. I'm still working on the outline so bear with me while I get my shit together, I just really wanted to get everything out as it came to me. 
> 
> I hope ya'll enjoy as much as I did writing it, and stay tuned!


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